The Pacific Kittiwake 



fifth; the first black on the outer web also; the fourth and fifth narrowly tipped with 

 white; the black on the sixth appearing, if at all, as two rounded spots. Bill light 

 yellow clouded with olivaceous; legs and feet blackish; the hind toe distinctly developed 

 but minute; iris reddish brown; eye-ring red. Adult in winter: Similar, but sides of 

 head and hind-neck overlaid with dark gray or plumbeous, and with plumbeous-slate 

 around eye, most sharply in front. Immature: Terminal portion of tail, and exposed 

 portion of primaries exhibited by folded wing black, the four outer primaries extensively 

 white on inner webs, the color encroaching upon outer web and upon tip of the 5th, 

 black vanishing with subterminal bar on 6th; a long black patch formed by bastard 

 wing, lesser and median wing-coverts, and portion of secondaries; a broad cervical 

 collar of black, and dabs of the same behind auriculars, sometimes continuous across 

 fore-nape; some black smearing about eye. Bill black. Length of adult: 406.4-444.5 

 (16.00-17.50); wing 304.8-330.2 (12.00-13.00); tail 121.9 (4.80); bill 34.3 (1.35); tarsus 

 34-3 (i-35)- 



Recognition Marks. — Crow size; blackish feet of adult; solid black of extreme 

 wing tip; black less extensive than in La r us delawarensis. 



Nesting. — Does not breed in California. Nest: On ledges of rocky cliffs; of 

 grass, moss, and seaweed. Eggs: 3; olive-buff (of varying tone, but averaging lighter 

 than "normal gull type"), with spots and blotches of chocolate-brown and violet-gray. 

 Av. size 57.4 x 40.9 (2.26 x 1.61). Season: June. 



Range of Rissa tridactyla. — Breeds along the coasts of Arctic and sub-Arctic 

 regions south to the Aleutians and the Gulf of St. Lawrence and southern France. 

 Winters from the southern portions of its breeding range south irregularly to the 

 Canaries, Bermuda, and Lower California. 



Range of R. t. pollicaris. — Breeding on islands and shores of Bering Sea and 

 adjacent portions of the Arctic and northern Pacific Oceans. Retires in winter to 

 lower portions of breeding range or sparingly and irregularly to Japan and Lower 

 California. 



Occurrence in California. — Not common and very irregular winter visitant 

 along coast and in harbors. Sporadically abundant. Casual inland. 



Authorities. — Cooper (Rissa kotzebuei), Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., vol. iv., 1868, 

 p. 10 (San Francisco Bay) \Loomis, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., ser. 2, vi., 1896, p. 21 (Mon- 

 terey); Anthony, Auk, vol. xv., 1898, p. 267 (San Diego). 



THIS HARDY gull is one of the most abundant and best distributed 

 of birds in Alaskan waters, but its winter recession is very irregular, and 

 is doubtless determined altogether by special weather or food conditions 

 in the North. The species has been described as common during certain 

 winters as far south as Monterey, and is held to be a regular winter 

 visitant in small numbers south to the Coronado Islands. Nevertheless, 

 its occurrence south of Monterey is always worthy of remark, and through- 

 out certain seasons it is all but wanting. I have seen it only once at 

 Santa Barbara. 



Of their occurrence in Alaska Mr. E. W. Nelson says: "They 

 pursue their prey in the same graceful manner as the terns, by hovering 

 over the water and plunging down head-foremost. It is an extremely 



1362 



